CHICOPEE  Their school's name honors those who fought and died in America's wars, and now, seventh-graders at the Veterans Memorial Middle School have a better understanding of what it means to be a veteran.

The seventh-graders have been learning about the men and women who served their country in a special program, the "Soldiers and Veterans Awareness Project."

Sponsored by the Vietnam War Veterans of Massachusetts, the project concluded yesterday with a special ceremony in which a prisoner-of-war/missing-in-action flag was raised at the school.

Twelve-year-old Ally Montemagni was proud to be part of the class study and ceremonies.

"All those people who died for us died bravely," she said.

Latrice Smith, 13, said the ceremonies "made me feel honored because they went to war for our country."

The flag-raising was sponsored by Ludlow's Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3236, which donated the flag and provided a color guard.

American Legion Post 438 Commander Victor K. Olizarowicz and Steven M. Jimmo, post adjutant and the Hampden County legion commander, raised the colors, which will fly with the national flag.

Seventh-grade social studies teacher Janet Masciotra asked Ludlow Veterans Services Director Michael A. Lombard, a Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War, to present the program to her students.

A team of veterans went to the school last November. It included Lombard, Vietnam War Navy veteran Donald Couture, Korean War Navy veteran William J. Shea, Vietnam War Navy veteran Greg Lalak, and Steve Houle of Ludlow, a 20-year Air Force veteran.

"Our presentation used to be coming with photos of ships, photos of tanks, of airplanes, and on that level," said Lombard. "But the kids wanted to know more. They asked questions like, why we went in, what was it like, and, as a result, we changed our whole program. There was so much enthusiasm, and we got so much cooperation from the class, we decided to donate a flag."

The students wrote essays on "What is a Veteran?" and visited veterans in area hospitals and shelters.

The Vietnam War Veterans of Massachusetts also donated $500 to the school library.